A Service Extension Request (SER) is a request by a landowner to extend City water or wastewater utility service to a tract of land, and is used by landowners as a basis to identify required infrastructure improvements and to determine a preliminary estimate of the cost of infrastructure for proposed development.

The SER Program exists to ensure that water and wastewater systems have adequate capacity to handle new developments (individual, subdivision, multi-family, or commercial) and that proposed extensions meet City and Austin Water infrastructure planning goals.

FEES

A fee is charged for the review of a SER and is collected when a SER application is submitted. Additional fees may be required depending on specific aspects of a SER application or when City development permits have expired and are being reactivated or renewed. For a list of our fees, please see our fee schedule.

CURRENT SER ORDINANCE

Provisions of Chapter 25-9 of the City Code address service extension requests and the City's cost participation of eligible water and wastewater infrastructure.

In some cases, a landowner’s request to extend City water or wastewater utility service to a property must also include the landowner’s request for full purpose annexation by the City. The annexation request form is required with a SER application for properties located outside the City's full purpose jurisdiction and not within the Austin Water State certificated service area. A request for annexation does not commit the City to annex or to annex the property within any specific timeframe.

All applicants for a service extension request are encouraged to use minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBE) in the design and construction of water and wastewater infrastructure and related facilities. Further information about the City’s M/WBE ordinance, see: Austin City Code, Chapters 2-9A, 2-9B, 2-9C, and 2-9D or visit the SMBR website.